CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD


NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF A REPORT AND FINDING ON THE EXEMPTION OF ADDITIONAL VEHICLES FROM CALIFORNIA'S SMOG CHECK PROGRAM IN BASIC SMOG CHECK AREAS


The Air Resources Board (the Board or ARB) will conduct a public meeting at the time and place noted below to consider the approval of a report and findings on the exemption of additional Vehicles from California's Smog Check Program in Basic Smog Check areas.

DATE: May 22, 2003
TIME: 9:00 a.m.
PLACE: California Air Resources Board
Central Valley Auditorium, Second Floor
1001 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

This item will be considered at a two-day meeting of the Board, which will commence at 9:00 a.m., May 22, 2003, and may continue at 8:30 a.m. on May 23, 2003. This item may not be considered until May 23, 2003. Please consult the agenda for the meeting, which will be available at least 10 days before May 22, 2003, to determine the day on which this item will be considered.

If you have special accommodation or language needs, please contact ARB's Clerk of the Board at (916) 322-5594 or sdorais@arb.ca.gov as soon as possible. TTY/TDD/Speech-to-Speech users may dial 7-1-1 for the California Relay Service.

AB 2637 (Cardoza, Stats. 2002, Ch. 1001) extends the current four-year Smog Check exemption for new motor vehicles to six years, statewide. The increased exemption is to become effective in all Basic and Enhanced Smog Check areas, unless the Air Resources Board (ARB or Board) finds that exempting the additional vehicles would prohibit the State from meeting the requirements of the section 176(c) of the federal Clean Air Act or California's commitments with respect to the State Implementation Plan (SIP).

At its April 24, 2003 meeting, the Board determined that in order for California to meet its SIP commitments, it would be necessary to exclude Enhanced Smog Check areas from the six-year exemption. The Board also directed the Executive Officer to investigate whether providing the six-year exemption to Basic Smog Check areas within these same federal nonattainment areas would interfere with the State's SIP commitments.

The areas in which both the Basic and Enhanced Smog Check Programs are being implemented are listed below, along with each area's federal ozone designation and classification.

· South Coast Air Basin (Nonattainment/Extreme)
· Mojave Desert/ Southeast Desert Modified Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) (Nonattainment/Severe)
· Sacramento Metropolitan Nonattainment Area (Nonattainment/Severe)
· San Joaquin Valley (Nonattainment/Severe)
· Ventura County (Nonattainment/Severe)
· San Diego County (Nonattainment/Serious)
· San Francisco Bay Area (Attainment/Unclassifiable

The staff's analysis indicates that in severe or extreme federal ozone nonattainment areas, exempting five- and six-year old vehicles in Basic Smog Check areas from biennial inspections would prohibit the State from meeting its SIP commitments.

If the Board concurs with this determination, vehicles in Basic Smog Check areas within the South Coast, Southeast Desert, Sacramento Metropolitan, San Joaquin Valley, and Ventura County federal ozone nonattainment areas would be exempt from biennial inspections for the first four years of the vehicle's life. Vehicles the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego County, and all other Basic Smog Check areas would be exempt for the first six years.

ARB staff will present a written report at the meeting. Copies of the report may be obtained from the Board's Public Information Office, 1001 "I" Street, 1st Floor, Environmental Services Center, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 322-2990. The report may also be obtained from ARB's internet site at [http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/inusecom/inusecom.htm]..

Interested members of the public may also present comments orally or in writing at the meeting, and in writing or by e-mail before the meeting. To be considered by the Board, written comments submissions not physically submitted at the meeting must be received no later than 12:00 noon, May 21, 2003, and addressed to the following:

Postal mail is to be sent to:

Clerk of the Board
Air Resources Board
1001 "I" Street, 23rd Floor
Sacramento, California 95814

Electronic mail is to be sent to smogchk@listserv.arb.ca.gov and received at the ARB no later than 12:00 noon, May 21, 2003.

Facsimile submissions are to be transmitted to the Clerk of the Board at (916) 322-3928 and received at the ARB no later than 12:00 noon May 21, 2003.

The Board requests, but does not require 30 copies of any written submission. Also, the ARB requests that written and e-mail statements be filed at least 10 days prior to the meeting so that ARB staff and Board members have time to fully consider each comment. Further inquiries regarding this matter should be directed to Sylvia Oey, Manager, Liaison Section, P.O. Box 2815, Sacramento, California 95812, or by telephone at (916)322-8279.

CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD




Catherine Witherspoon
Executive Officer




Date: May 13, 2003


The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our Web-site at www.arb.ca.gov.

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